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Seven to appear in court for damaging IEC material

Monday, February 10, 2014

Pretoria – The seven people, who were arrested in connection with damaging of election material, are due to appear in the Taung Magistrates Court today.

According to police, the group of three women and four men, aged between 20 and 33, allegedly forced entry into a voter registration station at Itlameleng Primary School, in the North West, on Saturday morning, and demanded registration from Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officials.

“They allegedly removed IEC banners from the school fence and set them alight before fleeing the scene,” said Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.

Damaging election material is prohibited in terms of Section (1) (c) of the Electoral Act of 1998.

The past weekend was the final registration weekend.

North West Premier Thandi Modise has condemned the incident, saying it undermined democracy.

“We condemn in the strongest terms possible disruption of election processes and acts of violence during voter registration as they undermine our hard won democracy and the right of citizens to exercise their right to vote in a safe and peaceful environment, without intimidation .These should be stamped out and those responsible dealt harshly by the law,” Modise stressed.

Modise called for an investigation as to why the disruptors were not immediately arrested at the scene of the alleged incident. – SAnews.gov.za

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